1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an image forming device, a method of notifying consumable exhaustion, and a computer-readable storage medium.
2. Description of the Related Art
In an environment of sharing an image forming device among a plurality of users in an office, etc., some users cannot see the image forming device depending on the positional relation between the user and the image forming device. In such circumstances, it is desired that the time for which the user waits for the completion of printing after moving to the image forming device is as short as possible and that the user can collect the printout as fast as possible. For example, in a known system (see Japanese Laid-open Patent Publication No. 2004-058631), by measuring the distance from the user to the image forming device on the basis of the GPS (Global Positioning System) information, the time it takes for the user to reach the image forming device is calculated; at the time point obtained by subtracting the calculated time from the printing end time point, the printing end is notified to the user beforehand.
In a conventional method, however, the user is notified of just the printing end. Therefore, when the user has reached the image forming device after the reception of the notification, consumables such as paper or toner might be exhausted, in which case the user needs to supply the consumables. Since the printing is stopped during the supply of the consumables, it takes time further to complete the printing, which results in the lower productivity of printing.
Therefore, there is a need to provide a device and a method capable of preventing the productivity of printing from deteriorating.